Tools for Enhancing Your Photos

Whether you’re taking photos to use in your own presentations or enjoy photography as a hobby, don’t forget the important step of editing your photos before sharing with the rest of the world. Writers always edit their work before publishing their book, articles or blog posts, so why shouldn’t you consider doing the same with your photos? Editing your photos doesn’t have to take much time. In most cases a photo can be edited in less than a minute. By spending the time to edit photos, you not only enhance them, but also develop your eye for photography. In Part 1 of this two-part series, I will discuss the tools for enhancing your photos. Part 2 will cover some quick and simple tips for editing photos.

What to Consider

Features vs. Cost of Photo Editing Tools for the Desktop

Depending on your budget and how often you take photos, you will want to consider these factors in deciding the best tool for your needs. You may also want to think about the learning curve of the tool you choose for editing your photos. Some tools are fairly simple to use while others are much more complex. However, simpler tools usually have less editing options compared to advanced editing software that allows for a greater degree of flexibility. The costs of these software editing tools can range from free to hundreds of dollars.

Free or Low Cost Options

If you decide that a simple tool is all you need, you can try Picasa, GIMP or iPhoto. Picasa and GIMP are free to use. If you own a Mac computer then you should already have iPhoto installed. You can find more information on free photo editors for Windows online. Of course there are a ton of choices when it comes to smartphones and tablets. Some are free while others are relatively inexpensive. One I like to use on my iPad is Snapseed. It’s a nicely designed app for editing photos on the road. You may want to consider photo apps for your phone or tablet if you use these devices often.

Picasa — a free photo editing tool by Google

Mid-Price Options

On the other hand, if photography is an interest of yours and something you want to grow your skills in, I recommend spending some money on a good editing tool. Some popular editing tools include Aperture, Photoshop Elements and Adobe Lightroom. These applications range in price from $79 to $149. But you’ll find that in addition to editing, these tools allow you to organize, print and share photos easily.

Lightroom — Organize, Edit, Share and Print Photos by Adobe

Big Bucks Option for not the Faint of Heart

If you want more editing flexibility and budget is not a concern then you should consider Photoshop. It’s a powerful tool with a high learning curve, but gives you the most freedom for editing your photos. However, you’ll want to spend the time learning the creative capabilities of the tool. There are two purchase options for Photoshop — one is by monthly membership of $20 or a full payment of $699.

Photoshop — the heavy duty photo editing tool by Adobe

Your Photos and Viewers will Thank You

Whatever software editing tool you choose for post processing your photos, it’s important to consider your needs and long term goals. If unsure, you can always start with free or lower cost options and then upgrade to higher cost tools once you have a better understanding of what features you need. The important thing is to edit your work! And the more you look at your photos with a critical eye, the easier it’ll become to know what edits to make. Your photos will definitely look better and your viewers will appreciate it!

Stay tuned for the next post where I’ll cover some quick and simple tips for editing your photos in Part 2 of this series.